Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : CyberCash a buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: jabbo who wrote (939)	4/13/1998 7:13:00 PM
From: jabbo	Respond to of 3990

FYI: Online consumer electronics retailing heats up Traditional brick-and-mortar retailers of television sets, VCRs and personal computers have been fairly quiet with their online efforts. They will need to act more competitively in the next 12 months as this online category heats up with a number of Web-based retailers fighting to establish their brand name, according to electronic commerce analyst Nicole Vanderbilt of Jupiter Communications. The online sales of PC hardware, software and consumer electronics will out pace other segments, reaching $10.5 billion in 2002, she estimates. "With the exception of a few direct sellers like Gateway 2000 and Dell Computer, there is no 'de facto standard', or Amazon.com in this category," she told CBS MarketWatch. One of the would-be winners in the market, Cyberian Outpost Inc. (www.outpost.com), today announced it closed a private equity investment of $22 million. The company said it will use the funds to finance brand building programs and to invest in new technology to support its online storefront. "Online retailers are wise to do this kind of spending," Vanderbilt said. "In the next 12 to 24 months, it's all about customer acquisition. That's why you are seeing all these 'tenancy' deals with portal sites, where retailers are spending large dollars to secure visibility and placement." Among competitors in the consumer electronics area, Vanderbilt mentioned Onsale Inc., Egghead Software, Cendant and Software.net. "I don't mean to say there are not a lot of strong potential players," she said. "But there has yet to emerge a standard. The next six to 12 months will be intense as various competitors try to climb to the top." www.cbs.marketwatch.com